New bank fraud scheme pays off

Banks who have signed up for the Banking protocol have saved nearly �50,000 from ending up in criminals hands,

Published:10:40Thursday 11 January 2018

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An initiative aimed at protecting potential fraud victims when they visit a bank or building society has prevented almost £50,000 of Cumbrian money ending up in the hands of criminals.

The Banking Protocol, a national scheme, has involved the training of bank staff to give them the confidence to identify where a customer is being coerced or tricked into withdrawing or transferring money.

The protocol asks staff to dial 999 where they believe this to be the case, and where appropriate, an immediate police response may be requested.

Almost 50 banks have signed up to implement the protocol, including HSBC, Natwest, the Cumberland Building Society and the Co-op, and since the launch in Cumbria on July 31st, £49,000 in fraud has been prevented.